Kym Marsh has revealed her two month absence from BBC’s Morning Live has been due to caring duties for her cancer-stricken father, as well as her anxiety attacks.
The former Coronation Street star, 45, announced that her dad Dave, 76, had been diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in March and as she continues to care for him, she will be extending her time away from the show.
Speaking to her co-star Gethin Jones on the daytime programme, she said: ‘I’ve been off and one of the reasons for that is I want to be here for my dad. I need to be here to support my family, and it was absolutely the right choice to make…
‘I’m not going to put any pressure on myself’: Kym Marsh has extended her break from Morning Live as she continues to care for her father following his cancer diagnosis, having admitted to experiencing anxiety attacks herself
‘I’ve been able to be around and be there when they’ve needed me, to visit more, and to spend time with them and help come to terms with everything.’
A pre-recorded film saw the TV personality speaking about her own mental health, as well talking about her recent engagement to Scott Ratcliff, 32.
Dave revealed in the clip that he’d received some good news recently, as his PSA levels – which are often detected in high quantities when prostate cancer might be growing – have dramatically dropped following treatment.
He said: ‘On March 21st when they diagnosed me my PSA level was 1,159, and at this moment in time it’s 2.2.’
Tragic: The former Coronation Street star, 45, revealed that her dad Dave, 76, had been diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in March
Supportive: Speaking to her co-star Gethin Jones on the daytime programme, she said: ‘I’ve been off and one of the reasons for that is I want to be here for my dad’
Big hug: Dave revealed in a clip that he’d received some good news recently
Despite the positive news, Kym has been suffering anxiety attacks in recent months, which have ‘come back with a vengeance’ following a previous battle.
She detailed: ‘Life has been pretty difficult for me and trying to support my family, and working away was making that really difficult.
‘There had to come that point where I just thought, “I can’t do this. I can’t be away from my family. I need to make a choice here of what I’m going to do.”
‘I started to avoid going places again, which was a sign for me that this is not OK so I decided to step back from Morning Live to focus on myself and my nearest and dearest.
‘I went to the doctor and I’ve started to have some help about my mental health. You’ve got to give yourself a break.’
Promising: His PSA levels – which are often detected in high quantities when prostate cancer might be growing – have dramatically dropped following treatment
Hopeful: He said: ‘On March 21st when they diagnosed me my PSA level was 1,159, and at this moment in time it’s 2.2’
Candid: Despite the positive news, Kym has been suffering anxiety attacks in recent months, which have ‘come back with a vengeance’ following a previous battle
Kym admitted it is ‘not long’ until she marries her fiancé Scott and she has been busy planning her big day with the Army Major.
Earlier this year, the former soap star’s family were struck down with coronavirus, and she has revealed her youngest daughter Polly, 10, who she shares with ex Jamie Lomas, was affected so badly she feared she was going to die.
The presenter explained: ‘The scariest thing was Polly. She had one night where her temperature shot up to nearly 40 degrees.
‘It was really scary, because she was shivering, really cold, but absolutely burning hot. She was panicking, “Am I going to die mummy?”‘
Trooper: ‘Life has been pretty difficult for me and trying to support my family, and working away was making that really difficult,’ she admitted
Scary: Earlier this year, her youngest daughter Polly, 10, who she shares with ex Jamie Lomas, was affected so badly by the coronavirus she feared she was going to die
However, Kym is now planning to ‘take each day as it comes’ and not put pressure on herself to return to the BBC One show.
She added: ‘For now I’m just gonna take each day as it comes and not put any pressure on myself.
‘So I’ll check in on the Morning Live family with my own family for now… but don’t be getting too comfortable without me Gethin, please.
‘I’ll see you on the dance floor at the wedding,’ she quipped.
Morning Live airs Monday-Friday at 9.15am on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Happy couple: Kym admitted it is ‘not long’ until she marries her fiance Scott Ratcliff, and she has been busy planning the couple’s big day with her daughter Emilie Cunliffe